The present invention relates to the general field of vehicle accessories and is particularly concerned with a multipurpose steering wheel holder.
Vehicles such as automobiles, trucks and the like are used extensively for commuting purposes. However, some individuals regularly make use of their vehicles for activities other than commuting from place to place. Indeed, individuals, for vocational or leisure purposes increasingly tend to use the vehicle""s privacy and comfort for leisure activities such as reading or for business work such as writing or reading a business related matter or use of a lap computer.
Portable utility consoles has been proposed for use in automobiles and trucks. Such console units are typically designed for placement either on the floor or seat of a vehicle and come in a variety of different sizes and shapes, depending upon the nature and size of the items to be sprawled. Some utility consoles are mounted on a transmission hump. Other seat mounted utility consoles are adapted for use by business travellers to accommodate briefcases, maps and the like. Small utility consoles are adapted to ride of the floor mat or on the seat, while larger console unites of the type providing a desk surface, usually include an attached tie-down strap to avoid shifting and/or spillage of the content.
Such utility are heavy, bulky and are difficult to store when not in use.
Conventional consoles which are secured by a tie-down strap are difficult to install and remove. Moreover, some utility consoles are customized for use in combination with a specific automobile type, and have contoured mounting surfaces which cannot be used with the seats of other vehicles.
The prior art is also replete with many concepts of trays and bracket assembly which are adapted to be secured under the dash on the floor of the vehicle. It has now found its advantage to provide any accessories adapted to be mounted under the dash since in many vehicles, the space is already occupied or retained by articles such as a radio, cassette player or the like. The assemblies have been proposed for installation on the floor of a vehicle only remain on the floor and constitute an encumbrance even if pivotable to stowed position.
The prior art has also recognized that the steering wheel of the vehicle constitute an interesting structure on which holders of various sorts can be mounted. Indeed, the prior art discloses a number of patents claiming support structures most typically suited for supporting objects such as lap top computer or even food. The prior art however lacks a suitable structure specifically designed to be used for supporting printed matter such as books, magazines, sheet or the like.
Stands for supporting printed matter in other context are old in the art. For example, music stands, lecterns and typing stands of various sorts are often designed to be rested on the ground surface or over a supporting table of the like. The prior art book holders suffer from numerous drawbacks and are not particularly well suited for use in the context of the cabin of a vehicle. Some of the drawbacks associated with prior art book holders include that they typically constitute relatively flimsy structures made out of foldable wire or sheet stuck frames that are best suited for supporting relatively small books. Also, although the structures are typically somewhat flimsy, they nevertheless require relatively large storage space when not in use. This proves to be a major drawback in the context of the vehicle cabin in which space is usually optimized.
The prior art book holders also lack a means for allowing the latter to be properly anchored to a supporting structure within a vehicle""s cabin such as the conventional steering wheel of a conventional vehicle. The proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis designed so as to be releasably attachable to a steering wheel without requiring special tooling or manual dexterity. Also, the proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis adapted to be releasably attached to the steering wheel of a vehicle without damaging or otherwise altering the latter.
Still further, the proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis designed so as to be readily hookable and removable from the steering wheel through a set of quick, easy and ergonomic steps. The proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis also designed so as to be customized to a various configuration and size of steering wheels and so as to accommodate books or other printed matter of various sizes. The proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis adapted to provide a sturdy and reliable support surface for supporting printed matter and allowing the latter to be ergonomically readable to an individual seating behind the wheel of a conventional vehicle.
The proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis specifically designed so as to be easily configured between an expanded operational configuration wherein it is adapted to support printed matter and a folded retracted configuration wherein it occupies minimal storage space. In its folded configuration, the proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderessentially defines a generally elongated configuration that can easily be stored even in the confined and optimized interior space of most vehicle cabins.
Still further, the proposed multipurpose steering wheel holderis specifically designed so as to be manufacturable using conventional material in a conventional forms of manufacturing so as to provide a multipurpose steering wheel holderthat will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.